See SciStarter’s Top 5 Projects of 2022 (and learn how NORAD tracks Santa!)

Here are the five projects that had the most participation among our SciStarter community of 150,000 registered users this year. Whether you are new to citizen science or a seasoned contributor, these projects are a tried and true testament to the wisdom of the crowd. Together, we’re helping to answer research questions no one scientist can answer … Read more “See SciStarter’s Top 5 Projects of 2022 (and learn how NORAD tracks Santa!)”

Categories: Alzheimers, Animals, Biology, Nature & Outdoors

SciStarter’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide Is Here!

The best gift is one that keeps on giving, and these nifty tools and resources certainly fit the bill! We’ve got useful gifts for birdwatchers, skygazers and weather-trackers, as well as books that will inspire anyone’s curiosity. Even better, many of these ideas tie directly in with one or more citizen science projects on SciStarter. … Read more “SciStarter’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide Is Here!”

Categories: Affiliate Tools, Animals, Apps, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Birds, book, Book Review, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Education, Environment, Field Guide to Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors, Newsletter

Photo of an Earth-viewing area of the International Space Station with holiday decorations.

Citizen Science Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for a special gift for the citizen science lover in your life? You’ve come to the right place! In this podcast, we share expert picks for over a dozen unique gifts your friends and family will enjoy while they help scientists conduct important research. Listen: https://citscipod.podbean.com/e/scistarter-holiday-gift-guide-live/ Projects and websites featured in this episode include: … Read more “Citizen Science Holiday Gift Guide”

Categories: Astronomy & Space, Biology, book, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Field Guide to Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors, Other, podcast

Feast upon these delectable citizen science projects

If you’re spending time with family and friends, here are activities to do together to discover more about your mental, biological and genetic health and more. Feast upon these delectable citizen science projects guaranteed to satisfy even the most insatiable curiosity! Thank you for being part of our growing family (150,000 strong now!) of thinkers … Read more “Feast upon these delectable citizen science projects”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Birds, Ecology & Environment, Health, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, podcast

Robert Courteau with large puffball mushroom.

The Great North American FungiQuest (podcast transcript and links)

Listen to the podcast: https://citscipod.podbean.com/e/the-great-north-american-fungiquest/ Thousands of mycophiles took to the forest in October to document as many mushrooms as they could, as part of the first annual Great North American FungiQuest. In this podcast, we spoke with Robert Courteau, project creator and also founder of the non-profit group Think Fungi. Projects and other links … Read more “The Great North American FungiQuest (podcast transcript and links)”

Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Citizen Science News, CitSci Research, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors

Simple ways to learn about and help koalas, kangaroos, and coastlines

Looking for new ways to spend some of your spare time? Check out the SciStarter Affiliates page featuring dozens of gold-star projects linked directly to your SciStarter Dashboard. To get you started, we’re featuring five Affiliate projects below. Cheers! The SciStarter Team  

Categories: Alzheimers, Amphibians, Animals, Bats, Biology, Birds, Citizen Science, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Newsletter, Ocean & Water

Image of shark on reef with small, colorful reef fish.

Tracking Sharks and Listening to Rays

Sharks get a lot more attention than, say, sea cucumbers, possibly because sharks tend to have much bigger teeth. They even get their own week! (note to Discovery Channel: please find room for Sea Cucumber Week). And yet, as marine scientist and shark expert David Shiffman points out, scientists are still discovering new things about … Read more “Tracking Sharks and Listening to Rays”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water

Martin Dohrn filming a bumble bee hovering over a dandelion.

Inspire Your Community to Protect Local Pollinators

When the global pandemic hit, acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn, locked down in his small city garden in Bristol, England, decided to turn the cameras on the wildlife in his backyard. He was particularly fascinated with the bees visiting his garden. Putting his unparalleled skills and cameras to use, he filmed more than 60 different … Read more “Inspire Your Community to Protect Local Pollinators”

Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science Month, Ecology & Environment, Environment, Events, Insects, Nature & Outdoors

A species of milkweed butterfly, Idea blanchardii

How Citizen Scientists Uncovered the Strange Behavior of ‘Vampire’ Butterflies

When a group of friends met up in the tropical forests of Indonesia, they were expecting to take in the verdant surroundings and hopefully nab a few photos of the colorful butterflies that congregate in the area. That’s what Yi-Kai Tea and his buddies found on the island of Sulawesi, nestled in the midst of … Read more “How Citizen Scientists Uncovered the Strange Behavior of ‘Vampire’ Butterflies”

Categories: Biology, Nature & Outdoors

Exploring Biodiversity in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Erin Canter found her way to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, in eastern Tennessee, from what she describes as a very “stereotypical science” background: white coat, gloves, sequencing DNA in a lab. But “that didn’t quite do it for me,” she says. After six months spent mostly outdoors living in a tent while … Read more “Exploring Biodiversity in Great Smoky Mountains National Park”

Categories: Biology, Environment